The invention concerns a method for the treatment of contaminated materials, particularly infected materials, whereby said materials are fed by means of an input unit to a conveyor system extending into a treatment chamber, where they are heated, treated, and discharged via a discharge element. Furthermore, the invention concerns a device for the above method in which essentially the entire treatment chamber is slanted upward in the direction of transport.
A high-temperature disinfection plant for hospital-specific waste is already known from DE 39 38 546 C2 in which the wastes are supplied to two screw segments separated by a mechanical pressure-sealed intermediate lock via a receiving hopper. An adjustable steam pressure is hereby generated in the first screw segment through the introduction of heat, while a partial vacuum is generated in the second screw segment in order to dehumidify the material by sucking away the steam. In this known plant, it is disadvantageous that the two screw sections are separated by a mechanical pressure lock which is expensive and, of course, also represents a potential source of defects. In addition, the screw sections are positioned in the horizontal plane in such a way that contaminated liquids can flow unnoticed through the plant and pass through the disinfection process untreated and/or insufficiently treated. It is in no way assured here that a safe disinfection and/or, in particular, sterilization of the wastes occurs.
A device for the regeneration and sterilization of soil is known from DE 92 13 599 U1. In this device, the soil is sent through a slanted treatment chamber and thereby impinged upon by steam. It is, however, disadvantageous in this device that two different treatment zones which serve for moistening and/or for disinfection or sterilization of the material to be treated are not provided. Rather, disinfection or sterilization occurs over the entire area of the treatment chamber. Furthermore, no pressure buildup can occur in the device because it is not a closed system.
A device and a method for the sterilization and disinfection of contaminated hospital waste is also already known from DE 41 38 938 A, in which the waste is first shredded and the damp granulate thus obtained is subsequently fed to a disinfection screw in a slanted treatment chamber, wherein three regions are provided for treatment. The granulate is first dried in the lower region and subsequently agitated and disinfected with flowing steam in the next section of the disinfection screw, which lies higher up, in order to finally be redried in the upper part of the disinfection screw and conveyed to a container via a conveyor device.
Furthermore, a method and a device for the decontamination of bulk material is described in DE 44 09 391 A1. However, in this prior art as well, two different treatment zones for moistening and/or for decontamination of the material are not provided. In addition, a closed system suitable for pressure buildup is not provided here, either.